Oral cleaning devices, both electric and non-electric, are known in the industry and in the prior art. Numerous patents have issued throughout the years to cover various improvements and novel features in the oral cleaning industry. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,170,809 requires a dental floss to be reciprocated along an axis substantially parallel to the axis of a handle (if the dental floss apparatus is positioned upright, the floss would be moving in an up and down motion). Alternatively, the motor mechanism moves a shaft in the handle only along the handle's longitudinal axis, which would impart the same movement in the dental floss attached to the shaft (again, the motion would be an up and down motion if the apparatus is standing in an upright position). U.S. Pat. No. Re. 35,712 discloses a sonic dental device that includes a flossing head that stores extra dental floss such that a user may exchange used dental floss with new floss. U.S. Pat. No. 5,323,796 is directed to an automated dental flosser that includes a twine of floss held in the body of the device for which a user may dispense unused floss.
A common way to move oral cleaning heads (including flossing heads and brush heads) is done by vibrating the end of the neck of the device, such that the head vibrates or moves with the movement of the neck. The present invention provides for a different movement that may be beneficial to the user. The present invention also provides, in one embodiment, an electric oral cleaning device that includes interchangeable heads and provides for an oscillating head that may include a flossing tool or various brush head designs.